Haley's Comet Puts the Jewish-Palestinian Problem Into Focus
Nikki Haley, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, made an impassioned, educated appeal before the Security Council, urging the Palestinians to provide constructive leadership. If you missed her presentation, you owe it to yourself to watch it. It should be a "wow" moment for anyone interested in peace and leadership not only in the Middle East, but anywhere.
Those who are unfamiliar with the Bible will remain clueless about the conflict between Jews and Palestinians. There is no way to understand the perpetual turbulence over the Middle East without understanding the historical context of the conflict. The root of it goes back to the book of Genesis (Genesis 12:1-3, 15:18-21 and 17:9-14).
Atheists and agnostics can take note that the debate over land rights and sovereignty in the Middle East cannot be understood without grasping the biblical record of how, and why, it all began. In a nutshell, the land promised by YHWH to Abram/Abraham's descendants is a promise unlike any other given to man by God. Israel, not the United States, is unique among all the nations of the world. No nation is like the nation of Israel, nor will it ever be. It's no wonder an apple of God's eye would be under constant, ferocious attack.
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Genesis 12:3, the centerpiece of the Abrahamic Covenant, says this of Israel, "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse" (NIV).
Prophecy revolves around the nation of Israel, not America. If you want to understand where we are in God's prophetic time clock, watch the nation of Israel and the people within. To oppose the Jewish people is to invite the active opposition to God. Does that give Israel the right to abuse foreigners within her walls? Of course not. Scripture commands Israel to not mistreat foreigners (Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:33). But all within and outside of Israel should be mindful of the need to respect Israel's right to not merely exist, but to also thrive.
When we understand the land promise God made to Abram and his descendants (the Jews), our understanding of the problems in the Middle East crystalize. Here is the promise that God gave to Abram, recorded in Genesis 15:18-21 (NIV):
"On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, 'To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadiof Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates — the land of the Kenites, Kenizzites, Kadmonites, Hittites, Perizzites, Rephaites, Amorites, Canaanites, Girgashites and Jebusites.'"
A PROPHECY TO BE FULFILLED
When we consider that the Jewish people have never possessed all of the land God promised to Abraham, it should be easy to understand why the idea of surrendering any land to the Palestinians is a hot potato. To give another people a portion of the land that God promised to the Jewish people would be akin to rejecting the gift and the gift-giver.
Yes, our minds have a hard time reconciling how and why God would take from one and give to another. But this is a large portion of the point. Just because we do not understand does not mean we should not comply. The case for Israel is unlike the case for any other nation on earth. It is not one that can be understood through a mere mortal lens. It is only by understanding the Abrahamic Covenant that current and future events in the Middle East can be understood.
Yes, it may seem, for a season, that the side that is slated to win has its back up against a wall. We know from Scripture that this will be the case as we near Jesus' return. We must remember that God always means what he says, says what he means, and delivers what he promises. His promise to Israel is no exception.
Pray boldly and humbly for the peace of Israel. Doing so puts you on the winning side. Those who oppose Israel's right to exist, or who insist that land be taken away from the Jewish people, are passionate and sincere – but they are sincerely wrong. We shouldn't look down our noses at such people, but rather lift our heads and pray for them to see the light.
In the meantime, our world needs more leaders like Nikki Haley. She understands the importance of standing with Israel at a time when a growing number are opposing not merely mortals, but the Immortal – the One who brought Israel into existence in the first place and who will one day deliver the rest of the land he promised.
Michael Anthony is author of A Call For Courage a speaker and blogger at CourageMatters.com, and lead pastor of Grace Fellowship in York, Pennsylvania.
